Pages

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Laying Bricks

As we quietly stitch the fresh beginning of 2018 to the tired end of
2017, we are presented with an opportunity to reflect, not just on the year gone by, but on the arc
of a life lived so far.

I think of my own life, as it currently is, so far removed from anything
I could have envisioned when I started out. And my son and his wife, juggling mortgages,
jobs, three wonderful children and all the activities they are entwined in.
Their life is hectic to the point that they must struggle just to get to the
end of the day. I’m sure, if asked, they could reflect on how fortunate they
are, but like most of us, joy is often smothered by simple daily necessities.

It’s like the old joke:

Short term goal: make it through the day.Long term goal: String a bunch of short-term goals together.

It is, therefore, important, from time to time, to sit and reflect on
what it is all about, and what we are actually doing. Because what we are doing
is lying bricks.

Another day, another brick. Keep it straight.

Every day we get though is another chunk in the wall of whatever structure
you are creating from your life. You don’t need to be retired to reflect on what
you have accomplished so far, but you do need to have attained a certain number
of years, because in the early days, when you are still close to ground level,
you don’t have a very good view. But as the years slip by, and the building you
are working on rises, you get a more encompassing view, and it would be a
mistake to not have a look behind you to see what sort of edifice you are laboring
on.

It might be a beautiful mansion, or a quirky cottage, or a soaring cathedral,
or a bit of a shamble. But it will be something, because everyone is building
something with their life, whether they know it or not.

And so, as we slip into 2018, I wish you exciting days ahead. Days where
the joy and thrill of life are apparent. But during those days that make up the
bulk of year, when getting that single brick into place feels like a battle, I
hope you can remember this:

Everyone is battling with their own brick, so be kind to one another, show
patience, embrace tolerance and, when necessary have courage.

Copyright Notice

I wrote all this stuff, but if you want to use some of it feel free, as long as you credit me and, if possible, link back to this blog. Notifying me would be nice, too, so I could link to you, as well.

If you feel you must steal some of this stuff and pass it off as your own, I can't stop you, but you're only bringing bad karma on yourself, so don't say I didn't warn you.